ReviewSince it's been a while since my last update, here is a quick overview of where we're at.
Biotech, Computer, Construction, Propulsion, and Weapons are all at tech level 3.
We recently completed Energy level 5, and began working on Construction 4.
Construction 4 will get us a factory upgrade. But more importantly it's a prerequisite for some important ships. Completing Propulsion 4 will upgrade our destroyer fleet to destroyer type 2 ships (for free, I might add). Completing Weapons 4 will unlock Galaxy-class Command Cruisers.
- Sol is building special buildings in response to recent technological developments.
- Malurian is shortly going to finish a dilithium refinery and will begin building a few energy buildings. Once we have power, we can build and activate Federation Replicators and Private Farms to feed our whole population.
- Betazed is upgrading plasma reactors, then will build the remaining special buildings.
- Mintaka is about to finish a third destroyer. We need 6 more to round out this still-unclaimed fleet. (wink)
- Catullan, Balosnee, and Benecia are continuing to build basic structures so they won't be so darn tiny.
- Trill is going to build the Research Committee for a big research boost after finishing Federation Replicators in one turn This building will take a while to complete.
There haven't been any real developments in covert operations one way or the other. Malurian's 2 databanks, however, are contributing a lot to overall security.
We have affiliation treaties with the Bolians, Selay, Ktarians, Talarians, Zakdorn, and Caldonians. This means we have exclusive trading rights to them.
We have membership treaties with the Betazoids, Trill, and Mintakans.
The Takarans are affiliated with the as-yet-mysterious Cardassian Union.
The Bandi are members of the Ferengi Alliance.
The Antedeans aren't friendly with anyone.
The Romulan Star Empire is at peace with the Ferengi Alliance.
We have no outstanding treaties or wars with any major race.
I noticed that relations with the Ktarians have cooled off a little, presumably due to Ferengi bribes. I'm sending them a nice friendship-boosting bribe to remind them how much they like us.
Turn 103The turn started off with an announcement that the Romulans and Ferengi signed an affiliation treaty.
The USS Brunswick A completed in the Mintaka system. Sensors have identified a pair of Ferengi troop transports approaching our space.
Back in Romulan territory, the Cortes identified an outpost in orbit of their third colonized system. That can't stay there any longer, so the First Destroyer Fleet is going to deal with the threat.
Meanwhile the Sandhusky scouted the Pythro system on the far side of Ferengi space. It's an altogether uninteresting system with a large volcanic world and a large arctic world.
Out of fear regarding the Ferengi, I'm going to order the completion of the second destroyer fleet before we consider further development in the Mintaka system. I'm also redirecting Admiral Sirus' fleet to deal with any threats in the region.
Turn 104The USS ShirKhar A took some damage fighting the Romulan outpost in Midos, but it should be all right. The outpost, on the other hand, did not survive. The First Destroyer Fleet will now be stationed in orbit of Romulus. Their orders: raid the Romulan territories and kill any ships foolish enough to attack them.
The Ferengi are building an outpost along our border, we'll have to deal with this threat soon. But at least they haven't declared war, so our colonies are safe for the present.
Still, to further secure the border I've cancelled a few special buildings in Sol, and we'll be producing destroyers that much faster to help secure our colonies.
Turn 105On their way to assist along the Ferengi border, the Protector and Guardian encountered a pair of Romulan scouts escorting a troop transport. The cloaked scouts fled, leaving the transport to the torpedoes of Admiral Sirus.
The First Destroyer Fleet has arrived in orbit of Romulus. Let the raiding begin! The Ferengi sent us a warning about attacking the Romulans. Fat chance.
Turn 106The Sandhusky scouted the Archanis system on the far side of Ferengi space. Here's a look at what we've scouted lately and the new system:
Our 4th ship in the second destroyer fleet is complete in Mintaka, the USS Everett A.
The Cortes scouted 4 mysterious ships in the system where we saw the Tarellian ship so long ago. With nothing better to do, I'm ordering it to investigate (suicidally if that's what it will take).
Turn 107Contact!
Here you can see the Pythro system, pretty uninteresting.
Twice!
The USS Cortes managed to safely hail the 4 Vulcan ships in orbit of their home system. This means we can send it to the next neighboring system with mystery ships of another species! Let's hope they can survive 2 first contacts.
Speaking of battles. The TDS Guardian and Protector had a look at the site where the Ferengi were constructing an outpost on our borders. They saw only a light raider (the equivalent of our destroyer). It took heavy hull damage but managed to warp away. They destroyed the still-constructing outpost. I'm ordering Admiral Sirus's fleet back towards Romulan territory to try and catch any more ships.
The First Destroyer Fleet is enjoying their new task a great deal.
The Vulcans have encountered the Romulans and Ferengi, but aren't trading with either of them. They seem to like us as much as the Betazoids did, hopefully we can get them to trade with us without much issue.
Regarding the Cardassians, the Takarans seem to have only just signed a membership treaty with them. We made contact by visiting one of their colonies. The Sandhusky has identified 3 mystery ships just outside its operational range. We can come back later. In the meantime I'm ordering it to investigate Cardassian space. I'm also offering them a non-aggression treaty, which may kick the Sandhusky out, but that's not a big problem.
Speaking of diplomacy, I can tell the Ferengi have been bribing the Ktarians and Selay, I'm sending them both bribes.
Turn 108The crew of the USS Cortes A are perhaps the most lucky in the fleet. They made "peaceful" first contact with yet another space-capable race.
Rather than making a direct attack, the Sheliak Raiders were issued the "evade" command. This caused them to shoot a quick blast of phaser fire before making evasive maneuvers. If they had fired torpedoes the Cortes would never have gotten away. With some relief, I'm sending the Cortes to scout some seemingly-empty space the Sandhusky had never gotten to.
The USS Covington A has completed in Sol. I'm sending it to Mintaka to join the rest of the destroyer fleet in production.
In diplomacy news, the Bolians offered us a membership treaty, which I am glad to accept. The Sheliak have met the Romulans, but aren't trading with them. They don't like us much, but perhaps we can send them some hefty bribes in the late future.
Also 5 Talarian warships appeared in orbit of Romulus, are they planning on bombing the system?
Turn 109A most eventful turn!
- The Vulcans accepted our offer of a friendship treaty. I've assigned a trade route to their system from Sol.
- The Cardassians accepted our offer of a non-aggression pact. The Sandhusky was somehow teleported 9 sectors from their territory to the Balosnee system.
- The Bolians joined our great empire! Here's a look at their highly-developed system:
You can see they have type 5 buildings. That's far beyond anything we're capable of right now. This system is a great addition.
Also the Sheliak must really dislike us, they declared war after knowing us just a single turn!
Jerks.
In Mintaka, the USS Coronado A, our 6th destroyer in the second fleet completed. Three more ships remain, we're building two more in Sol and one more in Mintaka before we get back to development.
Turn 110We've finally completed our Construction research.
Now I'm going to prioritize Propulsion. We've built 2 fleets of destroyers (or will have once it's done) and they will all be upgraded to the better, and more expensive destroyer 2 model at no cost to us.
Regarding diplomacy, the Cardassians are asking for money, I plan on ignoring them.
Additionally, it's clear to me that the Ferengi are trying to thwart our diplomatic efforts with the Selay and Ktarians. I'm offering a big bribe to the Selay, which should induce them to offer us a membership treaty. The Ktarians will get a bribe of their own when we have the funds.
For kicks I'm also sending the Vulcans an offer of affiliation. Maybe they'll accept.
Production is continuing uneventfully. I'll post updates as interesting things happen.
We've had absolutely no news in terms of random events or our intelligence operatives this update. I'm considering this a good thing.
Finally, our fleets.
- The First Destroyer Fleet, commanded by Admiral Haspen, is raiding all three Romulan systems from their position over Romulus.
- The Protector and Guardian, under the guidance of Admiral Sirus, are trying to catch any stray Romulan or Ferengi ships in and around our space.
- The second destroyer fleet (just a placeholder name, once someone claims the fleet they can rename it) is waiting for the construction of 3 more ships before it moves out from Mintaka.
- The USS Cortes A, after a narrow escape from the Sheliak fleet, is exploring along the edge of the galaxy. The Cortes is available to be claimed.
- The USS Sandhusky A, after being teleported to the Balosnee system, is moving to assist the Cortes. The Sandhusky is available to be claimed.
- We have no colony ships or troop transports at this time.
For RealsIt's good to be back. For a while I had somehow sent my play cd for BOTF 300 miles away, and it's taken me this long to get it back.
Regarding the game, things are going ok. I'm a little nervous about the 3 major races we've met so far. The Ferengi and Cardassians are about the same size we are, while the Romulan cloaking device makes them a perpetual threat. But hopefully we can obliterate the Romulans soon.
In terms of the big mystery, it didn't happen the way I expected. Let me explain.
- I knew for a long time that the mystery ships in orbit of Romulus were Vulcan. We first saw them on turn 78.
- I also knew, by cheating, that the mystery ships we saw on turn 55 were Sheliak.
- I remembered that the Tarellian random event ship we saw on turn 93 was in orbit of a system.
- I initially assumed that the Vulcan home system was in the region of space we now know is inhabited by the Zakdorn, Antedeans, and Takarans.
- But when we finally scouted the Zakdorn, Antedeans, and Takarans, I realized that the only place for the Tarellian vessel to be was the Vulcan home system!
- Then I remembered that the mystery ships over Romulus disappeared, and it hit me. They must have disappeared because the Tarellian random event ship had destroyed the Vulcan civilization!
I was fully expecting to get to the Vulcan system and find it empty. But since the game would still refer to it as the Vulcan system, everyone would immediately recognize that they had been annihilated.
As it turns out, the Tarellian vessel was either destroyed by the Vulcans, Sheliak, or it just left the galaxy on its own. A bit anticlimactic, but good for us. The Vulcans love the Federation.
I'm planning on posting another image of the entire galaxy later on. Expect it sometime in the next few days. Still, you can probably piece together a good idea of what things are looking like from the images I've provided on turns 100 and 106 if you can't wait.
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Topic: Lets Play: Star Trek TNG Birth of the Federation: Turns 173-175 *WE'RE BACK* (Read 58467 times)